Professional hockey is on it’s way to Austin, TX! Well, it used to be here in the form of the Ice Bats, but now legitimate NHL hockey is a year away.
If you live in the live music capital of the world, you may have seen these OOH and Banner ads:
A couple people we polled wondered if the Dallas Stars were moving to the ATX – keeping the same name as the NHL team will lead to that confusion. But this is an all new AHL team – the “farm” system for the big boys.
We immediately wondered about the campaign – who are they trying to attract – the rock concert crowd? They do mix with true hockey fans – after all, we’re fans of both.
But would it be better to appeal to the people who love hockey, first? Generate a buzz with die hard fans of the sport by showing players scoring or blocking shots? Or even have the stick blade point in the same direction for the ads? (hockey fans/players notice these things)
Either way, glad The Texas Stars are coming to town. We might have to get some corporate seats (and maybe even make an appeal to the marketing director).
5 responses so far ↓
1 Connor // Nov 24, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Well congratulations on the arrival of professional hockey in Austin.
That is very cool news.
The one thing I will say, and I completely understand the economics and brand familiarity behind it, but I’ve never been a fan of farm teams using the parent club names and colors.
I love it when a farm team creates a seperate identity for their parent team (see, the Philadelphia Phantoms, Manitoba Moose, and the Milwaukee Admirals (Best AHL Logo btw). I can’t stand it when a team uses their parent team’s logo (see the Quad City Baby Flames). It’s never unique and it always seems like a temporary destination. It makes the team seem like they aren’t committed to the history of the region or even the local identity.
That being said, I might have to swing by Austin a couple of days early for SXSW 2010 to catch a game. Hopefully the Baby flames have a road trip scheduled for Austin in March.
2 Joe Doyle // Nov 24, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Yes, it will be exciting to see some talented players up close. And we agree – why not call them the Austin Animals or something?
The Wolves are part of the Thrasher’s system. The Griffins (of Grand Rapids) are part of the Red Wing’s farm. Those games are very fun – especially on dollar beer and dog night.
3 Joe Doyle // Nov 24, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Woah, the Milwaukee Admirals logo is very cool. Unlike anything I’ve ever seen on a jersey:
http://www.milwaukeeadmirals.com/home.html
4 Connor // Nov 25, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Here’s a great list of all the AHL Logos and designs from the past.
http://www.sportslogos.net/league.php?id=2
It’s good to note that the Saint John Flames did a fantastic job of taking the parent team’s name and color patterns; but then incorporating a unique spin that gave the team a separate identity.
5 Joe Doyle // Nov 25, 2008 at 3:08 pm
The Birmington Whalers is a great example of using the original team name with a mod to that classic logo. I love that (as long as it’s not too close to confuse).
The Bulldogs and Rivermen are pretty cool, too.
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